The catechism for the curats, compos'd by the decree of the Council of Trent, and publish'd by command of Pope Pius the Fifth / faithfully translated into English.

The First COMMANDMENT of the DECALOGƲE.

I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt; out of the house of bondage: Thou shalt not have strange Gods before me: Thou shalt not make to thy self a graven thing, &c.

ALtho this Law were given the Jews in the Mount from the Lord, yet because by Na∣ture it was long before impress'd and written in the minds of all, and for that reason, God would have all men always to obey it; it will be very profitable diligently to explain those words wherein it was proclaim'd to the Hebrews by Moses the Minister and Interpreter of it, and the History of the people of Israel, which is full of Mysteries.

And first, he shall shew, that out of all the Na∣tions under heaven God chose One, which had its Original from Abraham, whom he would have

to be a Sojourner in the land of Canaan: The possession whereof when he had promis'd him, yet both he and his Posterity were Pilgrims for more than five hundred years, before they in∣habited the promis'd Land. In which Pilgri∣mage he never left the care of them: they went indeed from Country to Country, and from one Kingdom to another People; but yet he suffer'd no injury to be done them, but punish'd even Kings (for their sakes). But before they went down into Egypt, he sent a Man before, by whose Wisdom both they and the Egpytians might be deliver'd from Famin. But in Egypt he em∣brac'd them with so much kindness; that tho Pharaoh oppos'd and set himself upon their de∣struction; yet were they increas'd after a won∣derful manner and when they were grie∣vously afflicted, and very hardly us'd as Bond∣slaves, he gave them Moses for their Leader, who led them forth with a mighty hand: Of this deliverance especially the Lord makes mention in the beginning of the Law in these words, I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of Bon∣dage.

From hence this is chiefly to be observ'd by the Curat, that there was One chosen out of all Nations by God, which he call'd his People, and to whom he was pleas'd to grant the know∣ledge and worship of himself; not that this One was more just or numerous than the rest, even as God admonishes the Hebrews; but because so it pleas'd God, rather to propagate, and en∣rich a small and poor Nation, whereby his Pow∣er and Goodness might be made more apparent and illustrious to all.

Seeing therefore that this was the Condition of those men, [Note.] he stuck close to them and lov'd them: so that tho he were the Lord of Heaven and Earth, yet he was not asham'd to be call'd their God, whereby he provok'd the other Na∣tions to emulation; that the Israelite's happi∣ness being perfect, all men might be take them

selves to the worship of the true God: even as S. Paul also testifies, that he provok'd to emula∣tion his own Flesh, by proposing the happiness of the Gentiles, and the true knowledge of God, wherein he had instructed them.

And then he shall teach the Faithful that God suffer'd the Hebrew Fathers to pilgrimage for a long while, and permitted their Posterity to be oppressed with a cruel Bondage, and to be vex'd, for this cause, that we might be taught, that none are made. God's Friends, but the Worlds Enemies and Strangers in the Earth: And there∣fore that we are more easily receiv'd into familia∣rity with God, if we have nothing to do with the World: And also that being restor'd to the ser∣vice of God, we may know how much more happy they are that serve God, than they that serve the World: Of which things the Scripture warns us; for it says, Nevertheless they shall serve them, that they may know the difference betwixt my service and the service of the kingdom of the Earth.

He shall further shew, that after five hundred years God perform'd his Promise, that that Peo∣ple might be sustain'd with Faith and Hope. For God will have his Children always to depend upon himself, and put all their Hope in his Good∣nes••, as shall be said in the Explication of the first Commandment.

Lastly, he shall observe the Time and Place, when and where the people of Israel receiv'd this Law from God, to wit, after they were brought out of Egypt, and came into the Wilderness, that being allur'd with the remembrance of a fresh benefit, and yet affrighted with the ruggedness of the place in which they were, they might be bet∣ter dispos'd to receive the Law: for Men are very much bound to those, whose Bounty they have experienc'd, and betake themselves to the Pro∣tection of God, when they find themselves desti∣tute of all human hope.

Whence we may learn, [Note.] that the Faithful are so much the more willing to receive the heavenly

Doctrin, by how much the more they have ab∣stracted themselves from the deceits of the World, and the pleasures of the Flesh, as it is written by the Prophet: Whom shall he teach knowledge, and whom shall he make to understand doctrin? them that are wean'd from the Milk, and drawn from the Breasts.

The Curat therefore shall endeavor, and as much as he can, cause the Faithful always to have these words in their minds, I am the Lord thy God. Whence they may learn, that they have the Creator, by whom they were made, are preserv'd, for their Law-giver: And therefore that they can rightly take up that saying, He is the Lord our God, and we are the people of his pa∣sture, and the sheep of his hand; the frequent and earnest admonition of which words will have this Efficacy, that the Faithful will be made more ready to observe the Law, and abstain from sin. But that which follows,

Who brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the house of Bondage. Altho this seems to agree only to the deliverance of the Jews from the Bondage of the Egyptians: Yet if we consider the inward nature of universal Salvati∣on, it much more properly belongs to Christians, who are taken of God, not out of an Egyptian servitude, but from the dominion of Sin, and from the power of Darkness, and are translated into the Kingdom of the Son of his Love. The Greatness of which Benefit the Prophet Jeremy considering, propheci'd thus. Behold, the days come, says the Lord, and it shall no more be said: The Lord lives who brought the Children of Israel out of the Land of E∣gypt: But the Lord lives who brought the Children of Israel out of the Land of the North, and from all Countries whither I had scatter'd them, and I will bring them back into their own Land which I gave to their Fathers: Behold, I will send many Fishers, says the Lord, and they shall fish them: And the rest. For our most indulgent Father, thro his own Son has gather'd together his Children that were scatter'd abroad, that now being no longer the servants of

Sin, but of Justice, We might serve him in Holiness and Justice before him all our days.

Wherefore against all Temptations, the Faith∣ful shall use as a Buckler, that of the Apostle: How shall we who are dead to Sin, live any longer therein? We are not now our own, but his, who dy'd and rose again for us: He is the Lord our God, who has bought us for himself with his own Blood; how shall we be able to Sin a∣gainst the Lord our God, and crucifie him a∣gain? As therefore being made truly free, and with that Liberty too wherewith Christ has made us free; as formerly we yielded our Mem∣bers to serve Injustice, so let us now yield them to serve Justice to Sanctification.

Thou shalt not have strange Gods before me.

The Curat shall teach that those things that belong to God, have the first place in the Deca∣logue; and those that belong to our Neighbor have the last; because those things which we do to our Neighbor, we do for Gods sake; for then in Obedience to Gods Command we love our Neigh∣bor, when for Gods sake we love him; now those things are laid down in the First Table.

In the second place, in the words propos'd there is contain'd a twofold Precept: whereof the One has the Vertue of commanding, and the O∣ther of Forbidding. For in that it is said, Thou shalt not have strange Gods before me. The meaning is, Thou shalt worship me the true God, thou shalt give no worship to strange Gods.

In the First is contain'd the Precept of Faith, Hope and Charity: For when we say that God is immoveable, unchangeable, remains always the same, faithful, we confess aright, without any fault: whence, assenting to his Oracles, we must needs attribute all Faith and Authority to him: But he that considers his Omnipotency, Mercy and Promptitude, and Propensity to do good, can he chuse but place all his Hope in him? But if he contemplate the Riches of his Good∣ness and Love shed upon us, can he chuse but

love him? Hence this is the Beginning, hence this the Conclusion, which God uses in Scripture in Commanding and Charging; I am the Lord.

But this is the other Part of the Precept, Thou shalt have no strange Gods before me. Which Form of Speech the Lawgiver us'd, not as tho this Sentence had not bin sufficiently ex∣plain'd by the Affirmation of the Command∣ment, in this manner, Thou shalt worship me the only God: For if he be God, he is One: But because of the blindness of very many, those who in Old Times profess'd themselves to worship the true God, did worship a multitude of Gods: Of which sort there were very many among the Hebrews themselves, who as Elias ob∣jected against them, halted between two Opi∣nions: which thing the Samaritans also did, who worship'd the God of Israel, and the Gods of the Nations.

These things being explain'd, it must be added, That this is the First and Chiefest of all the Commandments, not only in Order, but in Na∣ture, Dignity and Excellence. For God ought to have more Love and Authority among us by infinite degrees, than Lord or King. He crea∣ted us, he governs us, and we were nourish'd by him in our Mothers Womb, and brought forth thence into the World; he supplies us with things necessary for Life and Food.

Now they sin against this Commandment, who have not Faith, Hope and Charity, the Sin of whom lies plainly open: For in this Number are those who fall into Heresy; which believe not those things which our Holy Mother the Church proposes to be believ'd: those who give credit to Dreams, Fortune-telling, and such like Vanities: those who cast off the Hope of their Salvation, and trust not in the goodness of God: those who take Pleasure in Riches only, or in the Health and Strength of the Body, which things are more largely explain'd by those who have wrote concerning Vices and Sins. De va∣riis

istis peccatis. Vide dist. 24. quaest. 2. multis in capitibus. Aug. in lib. de divinat. daemon. cap. 5. & citatur 26. q. 4. secundum. Origen. Hom. 5. Jo∣sue & habet 26. q. 2. c. sed & illud Aug. lib. 2. de doct. Christian. c. 19. & 20. & citatur eodem c. illud quod est Conc. Carth. 4. c. 89. vide plura 26. q. 2.3. & 5.

Notes

• I. The words of the Law, and the Hi∣story of the people of Israel to be explain'd.
• II. The Histo∣ry of the people of Is ael brief∣ly explain'd.
• Psal. 10.4.
• III. Why God chose the small Fa∣mily of A∣braham. Deut. 7.
• Deut. 10.15.
• Rom. 11.14.
• IV. Why the People of Israel suf∣fer'd so long.
• 2 Par. 8.
• V. Why God perform'd not his pro∣mise so long
• VI. Why the Law given at such a time and place.
• Isay 28.9.
• VII. The begin∣ning of the Law of God
• VIII. A Motive of singular Piety.
• Colos. 1.13.
• Hierom 10.14.
• Luc. 1.24.
• IX. How we must resist Temptati∣ons. Rom. 6.
• Exod. 10.
• X. The Divisi∣on of the Decalogue.
• XI. Here are two Pre∣cepts.
• XII. What the first Part contains.
• XIII. What the latter Part command••, and why •••• is add••d.
• XIV. The first Command∣ment of the Decalogue excels the rest.
• XV. The chief Sins against the first Command∣ment.